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Taking Notes

Unit 3 Lesson/Challenge #2

Lesson #2: What is Critical Media Literacy?

As we work to develop strong questions and create brave spaces, it's also important to breakdown critical media literacy so we can understand our terms better.

Challenge #2: Practicing Critical Questions in Media

How can we use critical questions to read and decode media images and messages?

LESSON #2
What is Critical Media Literacy?

WHY this lesson? 

As we work to develop strong questions and create brave spaces, it's also important to breakdown critical media literacy so we can understand our terms better.

  • Using your Writer's Notebook "Notes" section, make a three-column table like the one below.

  • As a group, break down these three words to better understand this topic. Brainstorm what each of these words mean and write them in each column.

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  • From this exercise, formulate your own definition of critical media literacy in your notebook under your three-column table.

  • Create a 3-2-1 chart in your notebook - 3 BIG ideas, 2 connections, 1 question you have

    • Watch the short video (to the right)

    • Fill out your 3-2-1 chart completely 

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  • Debrief Discussion: Use your 3-2-1 chart to discuss the following questions:

    • Why should we study this concept?

    • What BIG takeaways are you thinking about right now?

    • What questions do you have moving forward?

CHALLENGE #2
Practicing Critical Questions in Media

CRITICAL QUESTIONS

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  1. WHO are all the possible people who made choices that helped create this text?

  2. HOW was this text constructed and delivered/accessed to others?

  3. HOW could this text be understood differently by others?

  4. WHAT values, points of view, and ideas are represented or missing from this text?

  5. WHY was this text created and/or shared?

  6. WHO does this text advantage and/or disadvantage?

Examine the Questions &
Get Organized

WHY this challenge? 

When it comes to reading the world around us today, there are questions that we can practice when critically interacting with media.

As a group, read the questions out loud and discuss what each question is trying to ask. 

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For this challenge, we'll be practicing the use of these critical questions a couple of times. Make sure you have your Writer's Notebook "Notes" section ready and labeled with today's date and "Challenge #2 Critical Questions"

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Once you have your notebook set up, click on the "small groups" button below and go sit with your team at a table. 

Whole Class Challenge Practice #1:LEGO Everything is Awesome...

As a whole class, discuss the following questions while analyzing the LEGO commercial posted to the right using the discussion questions from Part 1.

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After having our discussion as a group, capture your discussion talking points in your Writer’s Notebook.

Small Group Practice #2: The Best a Man Can Get

As a whole class, let's watch a recent Gillette commercial. As a small group, discuss the following questions while analyzing the commercial posted to the right using the discussion questions from Part 1.

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After having your discussion as a small group, capture your discussion talking points in your Writer’s Notebook.

Small Group Practice #3: Just Do It

As a small group, let's practice with these critical questions for a third time. Discuss the Nike advertisement posted below using the critical questions from Part 1.

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After having your discussion as a group, capture your discussion talking points in your Writer’s Notebook.

Debriefing Our Practice

If each word is worth $0.10 (ten cents), construct a statement in your blog worth $2.00 about what you learned from these experiences and the value of critical questions. Title your blog post "Unit 3 Challenge 2 Critical Questions."

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*You can do this individually or together as a small group. 

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